Foot Patrol

Let a masseuse stand on your back at the Waldorf

A masseuse who walks on your back: sounds like an ancient ritual you’d have to travel to Shanghai (or at least a sketchy storefront in Chinatown) to try.

But barefoot ashiatsu massage is actually the latest addition to the menu at the ritzy spa at the Waldorf Astoria in the Gold Coast.

We recently put ourselves facedown on the table to find out if feet are, in fact, better than hands.

Our fears of being crushed were assuaged when we met the masseuse, a petite blonde who studied ashiatsu in Portland before bringing the technique to Chicago.

We’re a tad squeamish about feet, but it honestly turned out to be a non-issue.

First there’s a hands-on warm-up--a few minutes of regular massage to get things rolling. You’ll barely notice when the masseuse climbs on the table and begins to use her feet to press and roll your muscles.

What we did notice was how broad and deep the pressure felt--less like hard digging and more like a gentle giant was rubbing our cares away.

The hour flew by, and when it was over, that pesky kink in our left shoulder was but a distant memory.